Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County
December, 2025
Court Commons
Court Commons is a mobile civic exhibition commissioned by the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County. Designed to make the court system clearer, more accessible, and easier to navigate, it travels across LA county to meet residents where they are. The project combines modular installations and public-facing programming to explain how the courts work and why they matter in daily life.
Built to travel, designed for clarity, and shaped with community. Court Commons makes a complex civic system feel approachable and accessible.
Designed to move
Court Commons exhibit volumes, ground graphics, and supporting elements pack into a custom trailer that functions as transport, storage, and deployment hub. On site, the trailer opens into a presentation hub with free WiFi, speakers, and an LCD screen, creating a flexible gathering point for programming and conversation.
The on site experience
Four modular exhibits create thematic zones can be deployed together or in smaller configurations depending on site and audience, each focused on a civic idea:
Navigating the Court: How to prepare, find resources, and understand your rights, with simple takeaways and practical information that complements on-site Court resources.
Beyond the Headlines: High-profile LA cases and what they were really about, with a focus on media literacy and the role of judges.
Why Courts Matter: The role of courts in everyday life and within democracy, including an overview of different case types such as criminal and civil and how they differ.
The Inside Story: The people and roles that keep the Court running, highlighting the many jobs beyond judges and lawyers that support the system.
Supporting the thematic zones:
Side Bar offers a small booth for more private conversations and one-on-one support.
Seating elements reference jury structure, with 1–12 seats telling a clear story about participation and deliberation.
Ground graphics share a Los Angeles County–specific statistical story underfoot, while integrated wayfinding guides visitors through the experience.
Together or in parts, the exhibit adapts to site and program, supporting civic learning wherever it lands.
Tech in Service of Story
Technology in Court Commons is used in service of story. QR codes and NFC taps connect visitors to a custom mobile web companion with custom audio stories, editorial context, and practical resources that extend the experience beyond the physical installation.
A low-energy, solar-supported system powers the exhibition without tying into site grid infrastructure, and marine-grade AV components ensure durability across changing environments.
Where Process Meets Purpose
Community engagement ran through the full year of design and development, shaping everything from color and illustration to tone and accessibility.
Early co-creation workshops evolved into immersive pre-launch reviews with young Angelenos, whose input shaped the final experience and opened pathways to internships with the Court and project partners.
The result is an exhibit built not just to explain the system, but to reflect the people it serves.
Half Sister Studio led the project from discovery through deployment, directing strategy, content, visual approach, and integrated design across physical, graphic, media, and technology systems. HSS identified, vetted, and managed all project partners, guiding the work through design, fabrication, and field deployment.
Community Engagement
Room for Magic
Community engagement and community-informed art direction
Fabrication
Object Construction
AV Integration
Stories Illuminated Entertainment
Illustration
Peter and Maria Hoey
Exhibit Photography
Stella Kalinina
Project Documentation
Voksee Productions